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Random Program Terminology & FAQ

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Stephanie Comnick
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Random Program Terminology 

DOT: The DOT, or Department of Transportation, is a U.S. government agency that makes rules to keep transportation safe — including roads, trucks, buses, trains, airplanes, and pipelines.

Companies that require employees to operate specific types of vehicles (such as commercial trucks, buses, etc.) or handle certain materials (e.g., hazardous substances) may be subject to DOT regulations.

Employees in such roles are required to hold specific licenses and comply with drug and alcohol testing requirements set forth by the DOT.

NON-DOT: Companies or roles that are not regulated by the Department of Transportation. 

Employees in these positions are not subject to the same testing and qualification standards that apply to DOT-regulated roles, though they may still be subject to company-specific drug and alcohol policies.

FMCSA: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration - The agency that regulates commercial trucks and buses to make sure drivers and companies follow safety rules on the roads.

FRA: Federal Railroad Administration - The agency responsible for the safety and regulation of the railroad industry, including trains, tracks, and railroad workers.

FTA: Federal Transit Administration - The agency that supports and regulates public transportation systems like buses, subways, and light rail to ensure safe and efficient transit.

PHMSA: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration - The agency that oversees the safety of pipelines and the transportation of hazardous materials to protect people and the environment.

FAA: Federal Aviation Administration - The government agency that oversees and regulates all civil aviation (airplanes, airports, pilots) to keep flying safe and secure.

Consortium/Consortia: A Random program consisting of multiple different companies and their employees in one large pool. DOT-Only.

SAMHSA: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. A U.S. government agency that works to ensure that testing & labs meet federal standards

SAP: A licensed physician, or a licensed or certified psychologist, social worker, employee assistance professional, or addiction counselor (certified by a nationally recognized organization), who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.

TPA: A TPA, or Third-Party Administrator, is an independent company that helps employers manage their drug testing programs.

MIS: MIS, or Management Information System, in drug testing refers to a reporting system used to collect and track drug and alcohol testing data, especially for companies that follow DOT regulations

Alternate(s): In the context of a random testing program, an alternate is an employee designated to take a drug and/or alcohol test in place of another employee who is unavailable during the random selection cycle. 

  • This may occur if an employee is on extended leave, out on medical or personal leave, or otherwise unable to participate during their selection period.
  • The use of alternates ensures that the company remains in compliance with testing requirements while accounting for employee absences.

Random Selections: Random selections refer to the process by which employees are randomly chosen for drug and alcohol testing. This process is designed to ensure fairness and compliance with regulatory standards. 

The selections are made using a computer program or system that generates a list of employees at random, ensuring that no employee is unfairly targeted or excluded.

Employee Roster: An Employee Roster List for a Random Testing Program is a comprehensive list of all employees who are subject to random drug and/or alcohol testing under the company's policy or regulatory requirements (e.g., DOT regulations for safety-sensitive roles). 

The roster serves as the foundational document for selecting employees for random testing, ensuring fairness, compliance, and transparency.

Selection Period: The time frame during which the company receives its random selections. Depending on which random program the company signed up for, this could be on a Monthly or Quarterly basis. 

The Quarterly Selection Periods are:

  • January - Quarter 1
  • April - Quarter 2
  • July - Quarter 3
  • October - Quarter 4


Random Program FAQs 

Enrollments
 

How does my company enroll in an additional Random Program? If your company would like to enroll in an additional random program subscription, please reach out to our client services team at 844-709-2708, or your Account Manager to fill out an additional enrollment form and pay the associated fees.

My company has enrolled in Verified First's Random Program, where are my selections? Your company’s first round of random selections will be sent to your designated contact(s) email after we have received your Employee Roster List & the next selection period has begun (See “Employee Roster” section for roster submission details). 

  • If you believe you have submitted an Employee roster to us but have received no response, please reach out to  @verifiedfirst.com or call our client services line at 844-709-2708.
  • DOT-Group Consortium Selections
    • DOT Group Consortium Selections are sent in the second week of each Quarter.
      • If it is the second week of the Quarter and you have not received your random selections, please reach out to dsnotifications@verifiedfirst.com or call our client services line at 844-709-2708.
    • Companies in the DOT Group Consortium may have one, multiple, all, or none of their employees selected during each selection period. If no employees are chosen for the quarter, this will be documented in the selection report sent to your designated contacts.

 

Employee Rosters

 

How do I fill out a Random Program Employee Roster?

NON-DOT Random Programs?

  • NON-DOT Random Programs:
    • Provide First and Last Names in Excel Format
  • DOT Random Programs:
    • Provide First and Last Names in Excel Format
    • Provide a Unique Identifier (such as one of the following):
      • Employee's CDL Number (FMCSA-ONLY)
      • Last four digits of the employee's Social Security Number
  • Please leave out or mask the first 5 numbers of the employee's SSN (XXX-XX-0000) 

Example

If my company is enrolled in multiple programs, how do I separate the Employee pools on the roster? If your company is enrolling in multiple random programs, please clearly specify DOT and NON-DOT on the Employee Roster or submit a separate list for each Random Program Subscription your company is participating in

Example

When and where can I send my Employee Roster? 

It is recommended that you send your Employee roster 1-2 weeks before each selection period begins. 

  • If you have enrolled at the end of the current selection period and need selections right now, you may send us a roster and let us know that you need selections for the current selection period.
    • DOT Consortium Program Only: Due to the DOT Consortium Program involving a large group of companies and their employees, once random selections are made for the selection period, we cannot add additional companies or employees to the pool. If you enroll midway through or at the end of a quarter, your company will need to wait until the following quarter for selections to be pulled & sent.
  • Email all employee rosters to dsnotifications@verifiedfirst.com

How do I know my employee roster was received?

Verified Firsts Drug Screening team will notify you via email as soon as we review your roster. 

  • If you do not receive an email from us after 1 business day, please re-send your employee roster to dsnotifications@verifiedfirst.com
    • If you need additional support, please call our client services line at 844-709-2708

How do I add/remove someone from my employee roster? 

Please send your updated roster via email to dsnotifications@verifiedfirst.com before the selection period begins.

My employee roster did not change from the previous selection period, do I still need to send an updated roster? 

Please email dsnotifications@verifiedfirst.com before the selection period begins to let us know that your roster has remained the same. 


Random Selections

When are the Selection Periods? 

  • Quarterly (NON-DOT & DOT)
    • January
    • April
    • July
    • October
  • NON-DOT Monthly Program
    • All 12 months of the year 

How long does it take to receive selections after I’ve submitted my employee roster?

  • NON-DOT Programs
    • Random selections are sent during the first week of a selection process period.
      • Delays may occur if the roster is received after the start of the selection period.
    • To ensure your employees are included and you receive random selections for the period, please make sure your rosters are fully updated and submitted to us before the selection period begins.
    • Note: Selections are not sent out for the NON-DOT Program unless we receive an employee roster or an email stating your roster remains the same as the previous selection period.
      • To ensure your employees are included and you receive selections, please make sure your rosters are fully updated and submitted to us promptly before the selection period begins.
    • If you believe you should’ve received your selections for the current Selection Period, please email dsnotifications@verifiedfirst.com or call our client services line at 844-709-2708
  • DOT Independent Programs (All DOT Agencies)
    • Random selections are sent during the first week of the selection process period.
      • Delays may occur if the roster is received after the start of the selection period.
    • Note: If we do not receive an updated employee roster before the upcoming selection period, we will use the previous employee roster on file for the selection period.
    • If you believe you should’ve received your selections but have not for the current Selection Period, please email dsnotifications@verifiedfirst.com or call our client services line at 844-709-2708
  • DOT Consortium (FMCSA Only)
    • Given the large volume of companies and employees enrolled in our DOT Group Consortium, we provide an additional week for companies to submit their employee rosters.
    • DOT Group Consortium random selections are pulled and sent during the second week of each selection period. Once selections are made and distributed, we are unable to modify or re-pull any selections until the next selection period.
      • To ensure your employees are included, please make sure your rosters are fully updated and submitted to us promptly before the selection period begins.
    • If you believe you should’ve received your selections but have not for the current Selection Period, please email dsnotifications@verifiedfirst.com or call our client services line at 844-709-2708

How do I request an alternate random selection if my employee is unable to perform the test?

  • NON-DOT Programs
    • If the “alternate selections” section was completed on the random program enrollment form, alternate selections will appear on the 'Random Selections' page of the document sent each selection period.
    • If you need additional alternate selections for the current selection period, please note that this type of change cannot be processed for the current selection period. Please email dsnotifications@verifiedfirst.com with your request before the next selection period begins.
  • DOT Independent Program
    • DOT guidelines: An alternate selection can be made in a random drug and alcohol testing program if the initially chosen employee is unavailable for testing during the selection period due to reasons such as illness, injury, or layoff. The reason for the original employee's unavailability must be documented thoroughly
    • Alternate selections will be listed on the 'Random Selections' page of the selections document that is sent each selection period.
    • Alternate selection percentages start at 2% automatically for each client enrolled in this program. Should you want to increase this percentage, please email dsnotifications@verifiedfirst.com with your request.
  • DOT Consortium
    • DOT guidelines: An alternate selection can be made in a random drug and alcohol testing program if the initially chosen employee is unavailable for testing during the selection period due to reasons such as illness, injury, or layoff. The reason for the original employee's unavailability must be documented thoroughly.
    • If you need alternate selections for the selection period, please email dsnotifications@verifiedfirst.com with your request.

How does my company update its random program annual percentages? 

  • NON-DOT Programs
    • If your company needs to modify the annual percentages for its random testing program, please contact our team at dsnotifications@verifiedfirst.com. In your email, specify the percentage change you would like to make, and our team will handle the update accordingly.
  • DOT Programs
    • Annual percentages for DOT programs are fixed and cannot be adjusted. Our team will apply the minimum required percentages for each agency as outlined on the Department of Transportation website. If the DOT updates these percentages, we will automatically adjust them for you on an annual basis.

My company no longer needs random program services. How do we unsubscribe/deactivate our random program? 

To unsubscribe or deactivate from the random program, please contact our client services team at 844-709-2708 or reach out to your Account Manager with Verified First. 

 

Random Selection Documentation

What is listed on the “Certificate of Enrollment” page of the Random Selection Document? 

  • NON-DOT Program
    • Last Provided List
    • Current Selection Settings
      • Annual Minimum Selections/Percentage
        • Percent or number of Employee Pool to be screened by the end of the year
      • Requested Alternate Percentage
        • The percent or number of Employees to be selected if one of the originally selected Employees is not able to perform the test
      • Number of Candidates Submitted
        • The total number of employees on the Employee Roster.
    • Numbers to be selected for randoms
      • Current number of selections to make
        • Current number of drug screen selections made for the current selection period.
      • Requested Alternate Selection(s)
        • Current number of alternate selections made for the current selection period.
      • Selected for the next random screening pull
        • Percentage of randomly selected employees for the current selection period.
        • For example, if next to “Selected for the next random screening pull” it says 10%, this means that 10% of your company's employees were randomly pulled/selected for the current selection period.
  • DOT Independent Program
    • Last Provided List
    • Current Selection Settings
      • Annual Drug Testing Rate
        • Percent of Employee Pool to be randomly selected/drug screened by the end of the year
      • Annual Alcohol Testing Rate
        • Percent of Employee Pool to be randomly selected/alcohol screened by the end of the year
      • Alternate Percentage
        • Percent of Employees to be selected if one of the originally selected Employees is not able to perform the test
        • A minimum of 2% of alternates will be pulled each selection period.
    • Number of Candidates Submitted
      • The total number of employees on your current Employee Roster.
    • Numbers to be selected for randoms
      • Drug Only Test Selection(s)
        • Current number of random drug screen selections made for the current selection period.
        • Drug & Alcohol Test Selection(s)
          • Current number of random drug and alcohol selections made for the current selection period.
      • Alternate Selection(s)
        • Current number of alternate selections made for the current selection period.
      • Percentage selected for Drug Testing
        • Percentage selected for Drug Testing
          • Percentage of randomly selected employees to be randomly drug tested for the current selection period.
        • Percentage selected for Alcohol Testing
          • Percentage of randomly selected employees to be randomly alcohol tested for the current selection period.
            • For example, if next to “Percentage selected for Drug Testing” it says 10%, this means that 10% of your company's employees were pulled/selected to be randomly drug tested for the current selection period.
  • DOT Group Consortium Program
    • Last Provided List
    • Current Selection Settings
      • Drug Testing Rate
        • Percent or number of Employee Pool to be randomly selected/drug screened by the end of the year
        • This percentage is based on the FMCSA Annual Minimum Percentages from the Department of Transportation.
      • Annual Alcohol Testing Rate
        • Percent or number of Employee Pool to be randomly selected/alcohol screened by the end of the year
        • This percentage is based on the FMCSA Annual Minimum Percentages from the Department of Transportation.
    • Number of Candidates Submitted
      • The total number of employees in the DOT Group Consortium
    • Numbers for (Company Name)
      • Drug Only Test Selection(s)
        • Your company specific number of selections for the current selection period.
        • For Example: If there is a “1” listed in this section, this means your employee will need to take a random DOT drug test.
      • Drug & Alcohol Test Selection(s)
        • Your company-specific number of selections for the current selection period.
        • For Example: If there is a “1” listed in this section, this means your employee will need to take a random DOT drug & alcohol test.
      • Total Numbers for DOT Consortium
        • Drug Only Test Selection(s)
          • Total number of DOT random drug test selections for the current selection period
        • Drug & Alcohol Test Selection(s)
          • Total number of DOT random drug & alcohol test selections for the current selection period
      • Percentage selected for Drug Testing
        • Percentage selected for Drug Testing
          • The percentage of randomly selected employees to be randomly drug tested for the current selection period.
        • Percentage selected for Alcohol Testing
          • The percentage of randomly selected employees to be randomly alcohol tested for the current selection period.

What is listed on the “Eligible Selection Pool” page of the Random Selection Document? 

Your company's employee roster for the current selection period will be on the second page of the document we provide.

  • DOT Only - Unique Identifiers will also be listed next to each name for the employees regulated by the DOT. 

What is listed on the “Selections” page of the Random Selection Document?

Your company's random selections for the current selection period will be on the third page of the document we provided. 

  • Selections in Green will need to take a random drug test
  • Selections in Blue will need to take a random alcohol test
  • If no selections were made for the current selection period, this will be highlighted in Red.
  • Selections in Orange are alternate selections to be used in case one or more of your originally selected employees cannot perform the test.
    • DOT Programs: Ensure that you use a DOT drug and/or alcohol panel when scheduling your random selections. 

If you need additional support, please reach out to our client services team at 844-709-2708

Random Test Scheduling

After our company contacts receive our random selections, how do we schedule the random Drug and/or Alcohol tests?

Ensure you have the proper panels set up in the Verified First portal:

  • DOT Programs
    • Drug and alcohol panels are required for all DOT-regulated employees
  • NON-DOT Programs
    • DOT-Look-A-Like panels are highly recommended. However, the panels used in random drug testing are based on the client’s internal policies.
  • For assistance with scheduling your employee's random drug and/or alcohol tests, or for setting up a specific panel, please contact our client services team at 844-709-2708 or get in touch with your Account Manager at Verified First.

     

Random Program Fees

What are the fees associated with the random program?

Per the Service Agreement/Enrollment form that your company signed: 

  • Enrollment Fee: The Client agrees to pay an initial enrollment fee, due upon the execution of the Service Agreement.
  • Quarterly Fee: The Client agrees to a recurring quarterly fee, with the initial charge commencing during the Client's first selection period.
  • Please contact our Client Services team at 844-709-2708 or reach out to your Account Manager if further assistance is needed. 

My Company did not want (or have) random selections pulled for this selection period. Why did we get charged the Quarterly fee? 

Per the Service Agreement/Enrollment form that your company signed:

  • Ongoing Charges: The Client acknowledges that the Quarterly Fees will continue to be charged to the Client for each selection Period, regardless of whether the Client utilizes the Random Program, as long as the Client remains subscribed to the Random Program.
  • Subscription Continuity: The Random Program Subscription will automatically renew each year, and the Client will continue to be billed the Quarterly Fee until the Client notifies Verified First of their intent to unsubscribe
  • Please reach out to our client services team at 844-709-2708 or your Account Manager if you need additional assistance. 

DOT Random Program FAQ

Can our company add NON-DOT Employees and DOT Employees to the same pool?

  • DOT Programs:
    • All safety-sensitive employees are subject to DOT random testing and must be excluded from those not subject to DOT random testing.
  • NON-DOT Programs:
    • All non-safety-sensitive employees can be included in the NON-DOT Random Pool. 

How does my company find a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) who is qualified to act in the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) drug and alcohol testing program?

  • As an employer, you must provide employees with a list of SAPs qualified under §40.281.  The regulation [§40.287] requires the employer to provide the employee with a list of qualified SAPs. Your failure to provide such a list could result in sanctions issued by the DOT Modal Administration with jurisdiction over you.
  • Please know that neither the DOT nor any of its Agencies has or maintains a list of SAPs or any other service agents.

DOT Resources

 

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